How to pick the card that fits you
In this guide, "best" means the lowest APR at the date of the update, for the standard profile described below. Last updated: 16 July 2026.
The main comparison point is the grace period.
On the local market it reaches up to 56 days, but it only works if you repay the full amount used by the due date.
Pay partially and the grace disappears for the whole balance, not just the remaining difference. This is where most users lose money without noticing. The second filter is the cost structure: annual fee, penalty interest on the unpaid balance, and the APR on cash withdrawals.
A card with 1.2% cashback looks attractive, but with a 112 lei annual fee and low spending, the cashback will not cover the fee.
A no-fee card wins for small spending, a cashback card wins for high spending with full repayment.
The default „Kreditano order” is based on the APR; based on commercial agreements, certain lenders may occupy higher positions. You can always sort strictly by APR. What the APR means is covered in the <a href="/en/ghid/ce-este-dae">what DAE is</a> guide, and for the full product mechanics visit the <a href="/en/credite/card-de-credit">credit card</a> page.
Kreditano is an independent comparison platform. We are not a lender, we do not take credit applications and we do not offer financial advice. The information in this article is for information purposes; the final conditions are set exclusively by the creditor. Kreditano may receive a commission when you access a creditor's website through our links.
- ✓You pay in full monthly: prioritise a long grace period and cashback, ignore interest because you will not pay it.
- ✓You carry a balance: penalty interest weighs more than any cashback, choose the lowest rate.
- ✓You rarely withdraw cash: check the withdrawal APR, where grace does not apply and interest starts on day one.
- ✓Small monthly spending: a no-annual-fee card beats a cashback card you never amortise.
How Kreditano compares loan offers
All offers on Kreditano are sorted by ascending APR by default — the cheapest offer appears first. According to the National Bank of Romania, this is the fairest way to compare two loans, because APR includes not just the nominal interest rate but all mandatory fees: origination fee, monthly admin fee, mandatory insurance costs, and other recurring charges.
Two lenders with the same 9% nominal rate can have very different total costs because of these fees. On Kreditano you see APR alongside the estimated monthly payment for your chosen amount and term, plus the total cost — how many lei you pay in total by the end of the loan. In practice, total cost is the most relevant indicator when deciding between two similar offers.
No lender can pay to appear higher in the list. The displayed order is algorithmic (lowest APR first) and identical for every visitor. The only exception is when we explicitly tag an offer as "sponsored" or "partnership" — in that case the label appears visibly above the card.
What APR means and why it matters more than interest
APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the EU-standardized indicator showing a loan's total annual cost as a percentage. Unlike the nominal interest rate (which is just one component), APR includes all mandatory payments: application fee, admin fee, the cost of mandatory life insurance (if required), and regularly charged taxes.
Example: a 10,000 lei loan over 24 months with 8% nominal interest and a 0.3% monthly admin fee may have an APR close to 12%. Another loan of the same amount with 9% interest but no monthly fees may have an APR of 9.5%. Even though the second has a higher nominal rate, it is actually cheaper.
For variable-rate loans, the APR shown at the offer date is calculated using the current index (usually IRCC or ROBOR). If the index moves during the loan, the rate — and therefore the effective APR — adjusts automatically. For fixed-rate loans, the APR stays the same regardless of market movement.